Smooth Moves

Start your New Year right ...

2011-12-29T14:10:00.001-05:00

Some wait for Spring to do their deep cleaning. Since Florida doesn't have the traditional seasons, we got started this week! What has made the most difference for us is getting rid of stuff we no longer use or need.

Rather than letting perfectly good items go to waste, we always donate what is in good condition. Here are some of our favorite resources:

Furniture and household goods:
Manatee Habitat for Humanity 355-7082
Sarasota Habitat for Humanity 363-0777
South Sarasota Habitat 493-0529
Food:
All Faiths Food Bank (Sarasota) 379-6333
Food Bank of Manatee 747-FOOD (3662)
Clothing:
Goodwill 351-8945 (for home pick-up)
Salvation Army 1-800-958-7825

Of course there are many other places that welcome your donations and you may have your favorites already established. But if you have not, please look into these or do your own research because the charities who receive donations can turn the proceeds of sales into life-changing intervention programs.

Not only will you enjoy the benefits of cleaning out and making a fresh start in 2012 but also local nonprofits will be able to reach more families in need and do more good.

Got change?

2011-12-14T16:56:00.000-05:00

Recent survey data we saw today showed that in 2011, 61% of moves in 2011 were for "life stage reasons." Our clientele definitely reflect this trend - getting married, having children, children moving out, job-related relocation and retirement - are common among the people we move.

No wonder moving can be so stressful! People are not only dealing with the logistics of the move but also these BIG life changes. No matter how joyful or welcome they may be, stress always accompanies change on this scale.

Add to it moving during the Holidays and WOW! So if you or someone you know is going through this all at once - moving, the holidays and a big life change - we welcome the chance to make at least one area of your or their life less stressful: the move!

How much do Americans move?

2011-11-17T16:43:00.001-05:00

Happened to see these numbers on the website of the United States Postal Service:

17% of Americans change addresses annually.
45 million people move each year.
Approximately one out of every six families moves each year.

Wow! I have heard that the USA is a very mobile country in comparison to other countries around the world and these numbers seem to confirm it.

I wonder if our local rates in the Sarasota-Bradenton area are higher, lower or about the same? I suspect higher, which is good for us moving companies.

However, moving can be very chaotic and difficult if you're not prepared. Check out our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/strongermoving for short videos to help you pack and prepare like a pro.

Five ways to make packing not so SCARY

2011-10-31T09:36:00.001-04:00

Where to start? Boxes? Packing materials? What if I pack it wrong and something breaks? What goes in which boxes? Yikes!

Packing can be a scary thing but as one of the most important components of the move, it is a critical part of a smooth move to your new place.

The Stronger crew was talking it over this weekend and came up with these five important tips for people getting ready to pack for a local move:

1. Make clean-out a priority and donate unwanted items to charity. This way you don't have to pay more to move your stuff than it would cost to replace them. Think canned goods for example or books.

2. Pack boxes full and seal them so they can be stacked. In any move using hired professionals, time is money. The more time spent carrying out unsealed boxes one-by-one because they can't be stacked, the more money the move will cost you. You may have a lot of boxes, but stacking them three or four per dolly and wheeling them out goes very quickly. Movers can only do that if they are properly packed and sealed.

3. As the stuff gets heavier, the box should get smaller. Book boxes, for example, are small because the contents are heavy. Large boxes full of books are practically un-lift-able, even for the pros.

4. Save lots of work, use wardrobe boxes. Stronger Moving rents large boxes with metal rods in them called wardrobe boxes for $5 a piece (or you can buy them for $15 each). You can squeeze together about 2 linear feet of hanging clothes to save the trouble of un-hanging and re-hanging. As a bonus, the space in the bottom of these boxes is great of non-breakable items like pillows or shoes.

5. Write the room name and contents on the SIDES of the boxes, not just the tops. This eliminates the need for movers to stop and ask "where do you want this?" If they can see right on the side of their stack of boxes which room they need to take them to, the job goes faster, saving you money.

Watch this short video on packing the items in your kitchen. It shows you how to pack those breakable items so they won't break and it explains the right way to open a box before packing it (most people get it wrong!).

Remember, honor and give thanks for our blessings

2011-09-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

An Inspector from Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue came to do a routine inspection this week and he told us about the amazing monument they created at their Headquarters.

Located a few hundred yards from our office, we wanted to let everyone know about this special 9/11 memorial. The Bradenton Herald article covered this:

Crafted from a 12-foot, two-ton I beam salvaged from ground zero at the World Trade Center, and more than a year in the works, the memorial has elements representing the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.

Read the full article here or see the photo gallery.

We are spending the weekend with our families and observing a moment of silence at 8:46 am. While we remember, honor and give gratitude to those whose lives were lost and since impacted in the wars that followed, we are hopeful about the future. As we look at our children, we feel optimistic about the world they will see and put our faith in the goodness we see in our daily lives. Today and every day we keep in mind the people we have to thank for this.

Stronger gets Better ... BBB Accreditation

2011-09-01T13:03:00.000-04:00

We have long believed that "ethical business is good business" and now we have the seal to prove it! Today we are pleased to announce that Stronger Moving & Delivery Service, Inc. has met the requirements to be an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau.

BBB Accreditation means a business adheres to very high ethical standards. People know they can trust a company that has made the commitment to live up to the BBB Principles for Trust:

Build Trust, Advertise Honestly, Tell the Truth, Be Transparent, Honor Promises, Be Responsive, Embody Integrity, Safeguard Privacy.

Second nature for us! While it was no stretch for us to achieve this designation, we are extremely proud of all the hard work that went into creating, growing and maintaining a company that delivers - not just your belongings in pristine condition but also a great experience.

Our mission is to make every customer’s move their best moving experience and set the standard for excellence in professional moving services. The BBB seal helps show that commitment to excellence. Thank you to our workers, families, clients, suppliers and the BBB for the support. Onward!

And we thought our warehouse was big ...

2011-07-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

Wow. Just finished a tour of the Beall's Distribution Center this morning with the Manatee Association of Realtors. Everyone who visits our warehouse remarks about how LARGE it is but now we know what large really is!

In this tour, we walked through part of the 580,000 square-foot warehouse that is the Beall's Distribution Center. That's approximately 100 times the size of our warehouse!!! See picture from Mike Carter Construction.

Here's a quick rundown of the numbers:

446 - Beall's stores supplied by this one Distribution Center (DC)
16 - the number of states they deliver to (soon to be 18!)
1,600 - employees in our area, the largest employer (private sector)
500,000 - average units per day of merchandise moved through the DC
50% - portion of those units that are apparel

In addition to this impressive logistical operation, we have always been very impressed by their humanitarian operations. Beall's Inc. gives to a great many community and charitable organizations, including the United Way, March of Dimes, Police Athletic League, and Palmetto Youth Center as well as college scholarships to hundreds of employees and their dependents, students in Criminal Justice education at the State College of Florida and the Manatee Technical Institute through the R. M. Beall Foundation (read the whole story here).

I am running out of space here to talk about their extensive recycling program, so you'll just have to take the tour for yourself some time. Thank you Beall's for all you do and for the inside peak at your operations, truly an inspiration!

Hooray!!! We're 3-years old this week!

2011-06-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

We are so thrilled to be THREE this week. That's right, this week three years ago we got our truck, incorporated, printed tee-shirts, established our online presence and everything else you have to do when you open a business. Stay tuned for more musings, happenings and celebrations from Stronger's Third Birthday Celebration Extravaganza!!!

8 things we WANT you to know!

2011-05-13T17:06:00.000-04:00

This little slideshow is great information although incorrectly titled in our opinion:

8 Things Your Mover Doesn't Want You to Know (www.mainstreet.com)

These are all thing we WANT our customers to know and do. This slide show features helpful tips about what to look for, how to save you money and our personal favorite "Get an in-home quote." We love doing these and can best give our customers a flat rate "not-to-exceed" price.

Foreclosure crystal ball looks murky

2011-05-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

While most of our residential moves happen between houses and apartments, we as amateur real estate market watchers can't help but follow the foreclosure saga. This huge story in South Florida real estate has been a game-changer home owners, lenders, real estate agents, neighborhoods and gee, just about everyone here!

"Manatee County Foreclosure Stats: A Closer Look" (Wendy Herndon for Bradenton Patch)

"Foreclosures in Manatee Plunge" (Duane Marstellar, Bradenton Herald)

These recent articles had us at first optimistic that the devastation was over ... 55% drop in foreclosures since last year ... but then unsure (experts say foreclosure filings are artificially low due to bureaucratic backlogs in the courts).

It also just so happens that we're sponsoring the snack tomorrow for the Manatee Association of realtor's class on "Short Sales & REO's: What You Need to Know in Today's Market" with Bob McManus. If we learn anything new tomorrow during the class, we'll post it here.

We ♥ YouTube

2011-05-03T10:16:00.000-04:00

Busy month in April ... with moving, networking and making new videos to add to our YouTube channel. Here's the latest:

Good news!

2011-04-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

Congrats Pat on the good news, we're experiencing much of the same:

Is the recession moving out of town? (Gulf Coast Business Review)

Looking forward to the busy season this summer!

It's official - We're on YouTube!

2011-04-01T10:22:00.001-04:00

The first two of many short, informative videos are now on our YuoTube Channel! Check it out:

And let us know what you'd like to see, we'll cover it in the videos to come. Thanks as always for your support!

Businesses on the Move

2011-03-29T11:45:00.000-04:00

As amateur real estate market watchers, we found this article very interesting:

"Lower rents have Southwest Florida businesses on the move" (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

While we work mostly with residential moves, we have moved several businesses and even done work for nonprofits as well. Our website testimonials are primarily from homes we've moved, but if a business would like referrals from other businesses, we are happy to provide them.

Incidentally, we couldn't agree more with what Art from Lexjet said in the article from the Herald-Trib: "We believe happy employees make for happy customers." Amen.

Not surprised ...

2011-03-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

Saw this tidbit in this morning's Biz941 e-news:

Florida Realtors reported Monday that realtors sold 886 existing homes in Sarasota-Bradenton in February, a 19 percent increase over February 2010. The median price dropped 11 percent to $137,700. Existing condo sales jumped 26 percent to 325, while the year-over-year median price dropped 11 percent to $126,100.

What we hear from our realtor friends is that this is the case here in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

The ART of moving ...

2011-03-08T12:37:00.000-05:00

We have moved hundreds if not thousands of homes and of course we enjoy this business or we wouldn't be in it ... But last week was a treat because we got to move an artist's studio.

Need a brain break today? Take a look at the sights and sounds of Michael and Carol Fenzl.

Carol is a visual artist whose custom art had graced the walls of places like Walt Disney World, Celine Dion's home, Bank of America and Dick Vitale's homes. You may have sen her work in publications like Bette Homes and Gardens or Southern Living. As big fans of Sarasota's outdoor exhibit "Embracing Our Differences," we were thrilled to see her work there in 2006.

Michael Fenzl is a classically trained guitarist who not only makes sublime music but makes his own instruments, too! Originally from Austria by way of the tobacco fields of New England, the frozen tundra of northern Canada and now the sunny shores of Florida's West Coast, Michael brings his unique perspective and experience to his soulful original compositions.

We had the supreme pleasure to meet them and help with a recent move. Thank you Michael and Carol for your business and for your creative contribution to this community!

In appreciation

2011-02-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

As new members of the Manatee Association of Realtors, we sometimes feel like the new kid in class. So, it is very much appreciated when we receive a warm welcome and and support from fellow members.

One such friendly face at a recent Realtor Business Hour was Cindy Greco of Greco and Monroe Real Estate Professionals. Cindy offered to list our company on their resources page and we were thrilled. A few short e-mails exchanged with her and Lisa and we were set!

Thank you!! We are glad to be part of such a comprehensive website with so many tools to offer. We were particularly impressed with the Buyer's and Seller's Toolkit and wish we would have had something like that when we bought our homes years ago. In any case, thank you Lisa and Cindy for your support and helping a "new kid on the block" feel welcome!

Point ... Counterpoint

2011-02-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

I read this article in today's Bradenton Times

"Florida Challenged by Decline in New Residents" (The Bradenton Times)

And while we definitely agree that the decline in new residents is a challenge, we are seeing signs that it is starting to change.

For a while, any jobs that weren't with our truck were loading someone else's (usually rental) truck to move out of state. Recently, the balance is shifting to include more "unloads," that is people arriving from uot-of-state who need their stuff unpacked here in the sunshine.

While we specialize in full-service moves with our completely-equipped trucks, we are also pleased to load or unload rental trucks, storage pods or trailers.

And, looking at the blizzards blanketing the north this week, maybe we'll see even more to come!

Making the Better Business Council Directory STRONGER

2011-01-28T09:59:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share the Bradenton Herald's Better Business Council Directory with everyone today. Check the "Movers" category and you'll find us there with some of our colleagues in the moving business:

Better Business Council Directory - Your 2011 Official Guide to Better Business (Bradenton Herald)

Thank you to the Manatee Chamber and Bradenton Herald for getting the word out in the community.

What is the Better Business Council? As the article explains: "Members of the BBC agree to certain terms and conditions including clarification and confirmation of required licensing and proper insurance. In addition, they must agree to respond to formal complaints filed through the Better Business Council and make every effort to resolve conflicts in a reasonable, prompt manner outlined by the BBC."

We're proud to be entering our 3rd year as both Chamber and BBC members.

Good news maybe?

2011-01-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

Saw this in the Bradenton Herald this morning and hoped it meant good news for 2011:

"Region among housing recovery leaders" (Bradenton Herald)

The catch-22 for our area is that often housing = jobs. So while the analysts say we need more jobs before the housing market improves, we might actually need more houses (or more demand for homes) before the job market improves. Where's that chicken and did it come before or after the egg?

In any case, we're glad to see signs of improvement in the housing market!

What every business in Florida should know ...

2011-01-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Florida is to hurricanes what Kansas is to tornados. We're like hurricane alley down here and as such should have the best preparation, response and recovery for these massive storms.

At this morning's Realtor Business Hour with the Manatee Association of Realtors, we got a firsthand look at Manatee County's Public Safety Center. Wow was it impressive - both the facility and the dedication, professionalism, knowledge and friendliness of the people working there.

We could go on and on (and on and on) about the how amazing this place was but you just have to take a tour yourself. It's amazing to see one of the premiere facilities in the state and learn how it works. Here's a taste from the Bradenton Times:

Media Day at the Brand-New Manatee County Public Safety Center from The Bradenton Times on Vimeo.

As a follow up to the tour, we will be working on our "Continuation of Operations Plan" for the 2011 Hurricane Season. Our tour guide told us that 40% of businesses that close due to disasters end up closing for good - we don't want that! So, we are using the resources from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and the Florida Business Disaster Kit to get our plan in place.

Survey - Why Do You Give?

2010-12-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

We were reading this month's edition of Biz 941 and particularly enjoyed this column:

"Survey: Why Do You Give?" (Biz 941, December 2010)

It asked several business people in the Sarasota Manatee area about their charitable giving and we enjoyed reading their answers. My wife told me this once and I find it amazing - more Americans GIVE than VOTE (around 80% give to charity while 60% is considered a good turnout for an election!).

We particularly John Saputo's idea of success from the article: "Success without lifting others—as the Jesuits said—is nothing but greed and narcissism. When you raise others, I have found you only go higher in the treasure called esteem and brotherhood."

Most importantly, we can all do something. In this past year, we helped the Women's Resource Center of Manatee and look forward to doing more with them and possibly other charitable organizations in our community. As the year-end draws closer, we reflect on everything we have to be thankful for and hope to share those blessings as much as possible in 2011.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas ...

2010-12-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

We're feeling in the Holiday mood and thought we'd decorate ... So my wife found this adorable little tree and put our logos all over it to bring some Holiday cheer to our office. Hope your Holiday Season is a happy one so far!

We've heard of bad moves but these are the worst

2010-12-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

Check out our facebook page for a recently uploaded photo album of

We've heard some horror stories but these top them all! A study in what NOT to do ... Here's the link: facebook.com/strongermoving

Deck the halls ... and clean the closets!

2010-12-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

Guests coming? Entertaining and need space? This time of year finds us digging deep into closets, cupboards and sheds to bring out the holiday cheer. While happy and fun, always that little voice in the back of our minds is ... Ugh, come January we have to put (cram!) all this stuff back in where it came from.

An idea to consider is to store your Holiday items and any other stuff taking up valuable closet space with Stronger. Competitive prices and a secure facility are just the beginning. We offer turnkey moving services so all you have to do is "point and click" to tell us what needs to go and when you need it back - full service at its best!

Here is a great online resource for dealing with clutter during the Holiday season: clutter free holiday countdown (from Simple Organized Living). You may think 'well why add one more thing to my list!?!' We say that there is no other time of year where you change your decor, dishes and furniture so much so why not?!

As a bonus here in Florida, you can prep for a monster yard sale during "season" when all the snowbirds are here. As a double-bonus you can donate unwanted items to round out your 2010 tax deductions (more on this later). Hope your Holiday season is turning into a very merry one!

I hardly know the guy!!

2010-11-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

Caught this episode of Seinfeld last night about moving. What's more it had Keith Hernandez the Mets first baseman when they won the 1986 World Series. Moving and baseball on Seinfeld - we loved it! Here's a clip:

The best part was in the dialogue between Jerry and Keith about his moving job:

KEITH: Yeah there's a box spring but it's attached to the headboard and we'll have to take
that apart. Then we got the couch.
JERRY: Is that a sectional?
KEITH: Yeah. Twelve pieces and a marble coffee table.
JERRY: Is that a thick marble?
KEITH: Three inches thick. Got it in Italy. But the BIG problem is going to be the
convertible sofa. You see when you move it it tends to open up so it's going to be
real difficult getting it down the stairs.
JERRY: STAIRS??? There's no elevator?

They should have called us!! Box springs, headboards, sectional sofas, three-inch-thick marble-top coffee tables and a convertible sofa with no elevator? No problem!

Whether it's moving your furniture or driving to the airport, don't put your friends (or guys you hardly know!) in that position. We may not be able to help you with the airport trip but we can definitely help with your next move. Call us!

Nervous about an open tab? Ask for a flat rate

2010-11-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying that in the past 10 jobs we estimated, we were smack in the middle - on average $30 above our lowest estimated price and $50 below our highest estimated price. And let me make a few more points

we try to estimate conservatively: estimate more, charge less
we round down not up (a job ending at 3:05 would be rounded down to 3:00)
we bill by the quarter hour (A job ending at 3:20 would be billed as ending at 3:15)
you only pay for what we work, not what we estimate

That being said, some clients are still anxious about the final cost of their move. The thought of what they perceive to be an open-ended bill starting at $80 an hour can a little nerve-wracking. I understand, that's why we offer flat rates.

What's a flat rate? Seeing a job firsthand allows us to make our most accurate estimate (although those mentioned above were done over the phone and we did pretty darn well). If we can come visit and see your move personally to make a firsthand estimate, we propose a fixed price. This is essentially and agreement where you say "here's what I have" and we say "we'll move it for this price no matter what."

But wait there's more ... Caps! With Stronger, we often negotiate flat rate jobs with a cap. This is us saying "we'll move it for this price BUT if the time we work ends up being less, you'll pay the lower price."

So if you're ready to move but nervous about how moving companies typically conduct their billing, call us and we'll work out a flat rate / flat rate cap job with you.

How to save money on storage

2010-11-02T11:13:00.001-04:00

People in Florida (and I imagine everywhere in the south) are crazy for 'climate-controlled' storage. These self-store facilities are everywhere down here! While it has its benefits for storing delicate items like computer equipment or antiques, we suggest you consider the alternative - secure storage with Stronger Moving & Delivery Service.

storage at Stronger - see more pics www.strongermoving.com

We have a 5,000 square-foot storage facility on the premises. What are the benefits of storing your stuff with us?

Cheaper than climate-controlled storage because we don't have those big electricity bills to pass on to you.
Just as, if not more secure - no one is coming in or out of our storage except us.
Full service - do you really want to spend your free time driving, loading and unloading into a storage locker?! Let us do it for you!

Maybe you have to make room for the holidays .... Or want a place to store special gifts .... Perhaps you need to de-clutter a home you're trying to sell ... Any reason you might have for storing your stuff, please give us a call, you'll like our prices.

Why we loooooooove October

2010-10-21T13:52:00.001-04:00

Baseball and beisbol!!! October means not just the playoffs/world series .... it's when the baseball season begins for Venezuela's professional baseball (see the logo at right).

Both of us (Ruben and Gonzalo, the owners of the company) played baseball, which is what brought us to the United States from Venezuela. Check out our website bios to learn more about our years playing baseball.

We've been watching Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers, Francisco Cervelli of the Yankees as well as Guillermo Rodriguez and Pablo Sandoval (Kung Fu Panda) with the Giants. There are probably more but those are the ones we know of ...

We're also watching the Venezuelan baseball league as they get started, specifically los Tiburones de la Guaira (Ruben) los Cardenales de Lara (Gonzalo) and los Leones de Caracas where our friend Adolfo Gonzalez is playing this season.

Helpful online service

2010-10-18T11:32:00.001-04:00

We just heard about allconnect.com a service that compares prices on home utilities (ie- gas, cable, electric etc.) and helps you transfer your service when you move. The big ones are there like Verizon or Direct TV but also specialized local providers like city or county utilities and even the local newspaper!

Nice to belong

2010-10-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

In addition to being a multi-year Chamber member in Manatee County, we have recently joined up with a few other community partners. Stronger Moving & Delivery Service is the newest member of two professional associations in the area: the Manatee Association of Realtors and Building Managers International.

The highest compliment for us as a business is to receive a referral and we hope to give and receive lots of this sort of compliment.

Networking for referrals

2010-10-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

We have been busy visiting local apartments to share cards, flyers and networking. Some of the places we visited gave us printed materials that are available in our office. Thanks for the info:

We appreciate your support in referring Stronger as a moving company. If you know of an apartment building that would display our cards let us know, we'd be happy to share their contact information in our office.

Mortgage drought in SW Florida?

2010-10-08T10:21:00.001-04:00

I came across this article in the Herald-Tribune today:

Mortgages drying up in SW Florida (Herald-Tribune: October 8)

It reminded me of a recent job that is now on hold due to a buyer's financing being denied. It seems like the one case we saw was part of a larger trend maybe? I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for everyone to have a home lined up for purchase ... the buyer is excited ... the seller is ready to go buy another house ... that home's seller is ready to go ... the movers, realtors, decorators, remodelers etc. are all ready when *boom*

the whole deal falls through ...

It's a domino effect and I hope it can be stopped before it builds any more momentum, we've seen enough of this stuff for the past few years! Have you been affected by this? If so, write in a comment to let us know about your experience? Are you a banker who could shed some light on this trend? Hit me up!

Moving furniture, raising funds

2010-10-04T11:15:00.000-04:00

Stronger Moving & Delivery Service is proud to support the Women's Resource Center of Manatee through their fundraising event 'Cirque des Femmes.' This year's party was a big hit, drawing a crowd of 350+ people to support the great work of WRC Manatee. Besides the employment coaching, support programs and enrichment activities, my wife loves their yoga classes. Way to go planning committee, sponsors and hosts - congratulations on a GREAT event!

How to save on your move and make money

2010-09-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

Garage sales!!! Don't have a garage? Yard sale!!! If you're planning to move, this is your chance to really go through everything and CLEAN OUT! How great does it feel to be rid of those unwanted or no-longer-used items hanging around in closets. It can be a daunting task though, check out this great guide from Real Simple magazine: "The Ultimate Tag Sale Guide."

moving and storage by the numbers ...

2010-09-24T09:41:00.000-04:00

I found a ton of statistics about moving companies earlier this week while researching our membership into AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association). Some of the highlights:

Moving & storage companies employ 122,600 people annually
Moving companies are small businesses - 47.8% of firms have less than 5 employees
Roughly 70% of revenue comes from moving, 20% from storage and 7% from packing services
The most common reason people move: larger, better home (30%)
12% of Americans move each year, most within the same state

These numbers are all from 2008 or 2009 and with the dynamic changes happening in our economy, it will be interesting to see the new numbers for 2010. If you're interested in the full list of stats, visit AMSA's page "About Our Industry."

I've heard before that the US is one of the moving-est countries in the world. Stronger Moving & Delivery Service is proud to be part of such an important industry and strives to always work with the utmost of care and professionalism.

Our office has expanded by two feet!

2010-09-16T12:23:00.001-04:00

Two little baby feet that is! The reason it has been so long since posting is the birth of our daughter, Gloria. She was born healthy and happy on Tuesday June, 29 2010. The months before and after her arrival have flown by and we are so excited to have her in our lives.

Here she is in her "uniform" hard at work in the office this week.

Thank you for checking out our blog!!

Happy New Year from Stronger!

2010-01-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

We are proud to bring you even better customer service, more options and lower prices all the time. Since we were founded in June of 2008, we have expanded to offer:

increased staff capacity to do larger and more complicated jobs
new and improved equipment to better meet your moving needs
experience working as a team to better serve you
giving back through donations to worthy social service organizations
office location for client consultations
secure storage at low rates

Coming soon this year from Stronger Moving & Delivery Service, you will soon see:

Stronger video series giving tips and how-to knowledge about packing
improved technology systems to ensure more efficient operations
welcome packets for clients new to Florida or relocating within Florida municipalities
assistance with sending packages to Latin America

Happy New Year - and New Decade - to you and your family from Stronger! We look forward to providing the best service to our clients in 2010!

New Location Ribbon Cutting!

2009-12-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

With this new location, Stronger Moving & Delivery Service, Inc. is pleased to offer storage. Secure, convenient and affordable, please review what you're currently paying for storage and call us (941) 447-9715 to get a quick estimate over the phone.

Thank you to the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, especially Marianne Goldrainer for coming to do the honors. www.manateechamber.com

Pictured L to R: Erica Vargas (daughter of Alma and Gonzalo), Catherine Ferrer (Ruben's wife), Ruben Ferrer (Stronger co-owner), Gonzalo Vargas (Stronger co-owner), Alma Lachapelle (wife of Gonzalo) and Lily Gil (daughter of Alma and Gonzalo)

Stronger just got ... BETTER!!

2009-09-17T20:57:00.005-04:00

We are proud to report that we are now members of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to joining the Chamber, we took the extra step of getting certified in the Chamber's Better Business Council.

Six months after the BIG move

2009-07-20T15:14:00.004-04:00

So today is July 20, 2009 ... I meant to write about this six months ago but have been too busy (as you can see from the scarcity of posts in that time period). The BIG move at the White House when one first family moves out and the next moves in.

I was amazed to hear about the logistics and expense of it all ... 132 rooms, 93-person crew, 5 hours and millions of dollars in expenses go into making this one of the most intense moves ever.

Here's a video from MSNBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kwuFD4GL98

We specialize in being flexible enough to do last-minute, quick or complex moves (combining two households into one for example), but this is really out there. Everything is put away by the end of six hours (not to mention painted, decorated and turn-key ready for the first family). If I remember right, they take it to the point of having food on-hand that the family likes - whew!

I bring this up now to ask any readers out there if they have been part of a super-fast move like this one ... Anyone got a story? I know there are plenty over the years from the different families moving in and out of the White House.

Moving season

2009-07-07T23:22:00.005-04:00

As a Floridian and someone who grew up in the tropics, seasons take on a different meaning for me than they do for people like my wife who grew up in Ohio. This picture kind of sums it up:

But Florida does have seasons! In fact, while summer is the slowest season for almost everything in Florida (except hurricanes and lovebugs) it is the busiest for us movers.

This post is just to say 'thank you' to anyone who has called on us to move their stuff and to encourage anyone considering a move to call - help us stay busy into the fall!!

Hidden costs of moving

2008-11-11T18:44:00.005-05:00

This economy has people on edge about rising prices, inflation and wages not being able to keep up. People still need to move though ... Unfortunately, the perception that it's too expensive or bad experiences have made people shy to work with a professional moving team. Below is a great article about watching for hidden costs associated with moving:

The hidden costs of moving (MSN money)

Many hidden costs crop up when people think they can do the move themselves on the cheap ... Their miscalculations end up costing them more than if they had saved time and their aching backs and just hired professional movers.

The stance of Stronger Moving & Delivery Service Inc. is to always be 100% up-front with costs and pricing.

Moving in THIS economy

2008-10-15T22:32:00.005-04:00

You're opening a business in this economy? Of course. Americans are on the move. According to statistics from the American Moving & Storage Association, 38.7 million Americans - 16.5 million households - moved in 2006 (Census Bureau information).

Guess which state had the most active inbound, outbound and within-the-state moving? You guessed it, Florida. Stronger Moving & Delivery Services, Inc. is headquartered right in the middle of Florida on the West coast, so we serve the entire state. No job is too big or too small.

How big? How small? Well, according to these same statistics, the TOP reason for people moving was: a larger/better home. Nearly one-third of all people who moved cited this as their reason for moving in 2006. Whether that's still true in these changed economic times remains to be seen, but Stronger moving is there for all your moving needs.

Here's the statistical information if you would like to check it out for yourself: http://www.promover.org/content.asp?contentid=767

Moving within Florida? Check out these links for address change, DMV info and more

2008-03-08T00:11:00.000-05:00

Drivers Licenses & Motor Vehicle Registration
Florida First Time Driver Course (New Drivers)
Employment - Finding a Job in Florida
Find a Home - Florida Real Estate Information
Florida Tax Information Sales Tax, Intangible Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Property Tax, Homestead Exemption, Tax Forms
Schools - Selecting Schools - School Performance
Starting & Operating a Business in Florida
Residency Information
Facts on Florida - Archaeology, Economy, History, Population, History, Symbols, Wildlife, more...
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